Chronicle 12
The door clicked shut.
For several seconds...
No one spoke.
Then...
Phoebe turned toward Armintie.
Armintie turned toward Phoebe.
Neither had to say a word.
They simply collided into each other's arms.
The restraint they'd maintained for the past two hours...
Vanished.
They held each other fiercely.
The tears came all at once.
Real tears.
Not quiet ones.
The kind that came after carrying too much for far too long.
"I'm sorry..."
Phoebe whispered.
"I know..."
Armintie answered.
"I was so scared..."
"So was I..."
They cried harder.
Not because the meeting had gone badly.
Because it hadn't.
Because they had survived it.
Because they hadn't realized until this moment how tightly
they'd been holding themselves together.
Dr. Amina Idris watched from across the room.
She quietly removed her glasses.
Brushed away a tear.
Then walked over.
Neither girl noticed.
Until Amina gently rested a hand on each of their shoulders.
Phoebe looked up.
Without thinking...
She reached out.
Armintie did the same.
Amina smiled.
Then allowed herself to become part of the embrace.
For a few moments...
The three women simply stood there together.
No one trying to fix anyone.
No one trying to explain anything.
Just...
Holding each other.
Eventually the crying subsided.
The girls stepped back.
Almost simultaneously they said,
"...Sorry."
Amina blinked.
"For what?"
"We..."
Phoebe laughed weakly.
"...kind of lost it."
Amina smiled warmly.
"You didn't lose anything."
"You let it out."
"There's a difference."
The girls looked at one another.
Then Phoebe asked the question she'd been trying not to
think about.
"So..."
"...what happens now?"
The room grew quiet again.
Armintie answered before Amina could.
"We can't stay here forever."
Phoebe nodded.
"...and..."
She sighed.
"...we're not old enough to live on our own."
"Not legally."
"We couldn't even rent a place together."
Armintie looked down.
"I don't want to go back."
"Not yet."
Phoebe nodded immediately.
"I don't either."
Another pause.
"...but I don't want to live with strangers."
"I don't want another family."
"I don't want to be separated."
Her voice became small.
"I don't want to lose Armintie too."
Armintie reached over and took her hand.
"You won't."
Amina pulled her chair a little closer.
"I understand."
"I really do."
She folded her hands together.
"...and unfortunately..."
"...this is the part where compassion runs into
paperwork."
The girls looked at her.
"The system has rules."
"Most of those rules were written to keep children
safe."
She smiled sadly.
"Systems are designed for efficiency."
"Not empathy."
"They don't always understand individual stories."
Phoebe quietly nodded.
"I hate that."
"So do I."
Amina answered without hesitation.
"...but..."
She leaned forward.
"Nothing has to happen today."
"You are not being discharged this afternoon."
"Or tomorrow."
"We still have time."
"We'll continue your treatment."
"We'll continue your assessments."
"...and while that's happening..."
"...we'll explore options together."
She emphasized the last word.
"Together."
"You'll meet any prospective foster families before
anyone expects you to make a decision."
"If you tell us you're uncomfortable..."
"...we'll listen."
"If you want to stay together..."
"...that will be our goal."
"I can't promise everything will unfold exactly as
you'd like."
"I'd be lying if I did."
"...but I can promise this."
"You won't be rushed."
"...and you won't be making these decisions
alone."
Phoebe looked over at Armintie.
Armintie squeezed her hand.
For the first time since the question had been asked...
The future still looked uncertain.
...but it no longer looked lonely.
By the time they left Love Hospital...
None of them realized how hungry they were.
The first bright sign they saw along the highway solved the
problem.
STEGO BURGERS
Joanna laughed.
"I can't believe there's one here."
Zas glanced at the restaurant.
"Why would there not be?"
"They're everywhere in Cleveland."
"I did not expect them in Purushapura."
Zas shrugged.
"This is Purushapura."
"Not a mountain village."
"I suppose."
A few minutes later they found themselves sitting in a
booth.
Three Stego Sandwiches.
Three drinks.
One basket of fries large enough for an entire family.
Arel-Sin was already halfway through his meal.
Or...
At least he had been.
Now he was attempting to balance two fries inside his
nostrils.
Joanna blinked.
"...Really?"
Arel-Sin looked proudly at her.
"I am a walrus."
Zas didn't even look up.
"Remove the fries from your nose."
"They're clean."
"They will not remain so."
With an exaggerated sigh...
Arel-Sin removed them.
Joanna smiled.
Normally...
That would have earned at least a small lecture.
Today...
Zas simply stared at his sandwich.
He took another bite.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
Without tasting any of it.
Joanna watched him for nearly a minute.
Finally...
"You think it went badly."
He didn't answer immediately.
"I think..."
He sighed.
"...I failed."
She frowned.
"You do?"
"I knew..."
"...that Phoebe would not run into my arms."
"I knew we would not leave singing together."
"I knew everything would not simply become..."
He searched for the word.
"...whole."
He looked down.
"...but..."
"I thought it would feel different."
He laughed quietly.
"I cannot explain why."
Joanna waited.
"I imagined that if I apologized properly..."
"...something inside me would know."
"It doesn't."
She nodded slowly.
"I think you're reading today all wrong."
He looked at her.
"This wasn't a failure."
"It stopped being a failure the moment you walked
through that hospital door."
He looked unconvinced.
She continued.
"Zas..."
"This was never supposed to fix everything."
"It was always going to be one step."
"The first one."
She leaned forward.
"...and look what that first step actually was."
She counted on her fingers.
"Phoebe hugged you."
"Armintie hugged you."
"They both told you they still loved you."
"They told you the truth."
"You told them the truth."
"No one screamed."
"No one walked out."
"No one slammed the door."
She smiled gently.
"They invited you back into the conversation."
He stared quietly at the tabletop.
"It should feel like enough."
"It doesn't."
"I know."
She reached across the table and took his hand.
"I understand."
"You wanted certainty."
"You got hope."
"They aren't the same thing."
He nodded faintly.
"No."
"They're not."
She squeezed his hand.
"...but hope matters."
She glanced toward Arel-Sin, who had somehow managed to
arrange ketchup into what he insisted was "a surprisingly accurate map of
The Blade."
"Most broken families..."
"...don't even get this."
"They don't get honesty."
"They don't get hugs."
"They don't get another conversation."
"They just..."
She made a small motion with her hands, drifting apart.
"...keep moving away from each other."
"You didn't."
She looked back at him.
"I can't promise you what happens next."
"I can't promise Phoebe comes home."
"I can't promise Armintie forgives everyone."
"I can't promise any of that."
Her voice softened.
"...but I think..."
"...you should hold onto the tiny piece of hope they
gave you."
"Because today..."
"...they gave you one."
For the first time since leaving the hospital...
Zas stopped eating.
Not because he had lost his appetite.
Because he finally realized...
He wasn't grieving what had happened.
He was grieving what he had imagined would happen.
Those were two different things.
...and perhaps...
Accepting the real first step...
Was the beginning of taking the second one.
Darkness had settled over Purushapura by the time they
started looking for somewhere to stay.
Zas slowed the Land Rover outside another motel.
He read the illuminated sign.
His eyebrows rose.
"...That much?"
Joanna leaned over.
"Oh."
She looked at the price.
"Yeah..."
"...that's a little steep."
"A little?"
Zas muttered.
"For that amount..."
"...I expect the room to cook breakfast."
Joanna laughed.
Several more motels passed.
Each one seemed more expensive than the last.
Then Joanna pointed.
"What about that one?"
Ahead stood a familiar hotel chain.
Clean.
Modern.
Brightly lit.
Zas glanced once at the sign.
Immediately shook his head.
"Too expensive."
"I'll pay."
He looked over.
"You do not need to do that."
"I know."
"I want to."
He frowned.
"Joanna..."
She folded her arms.
"I'm not asking."
"I'm telling you."
That earned the tiniest smile.
She continued.
"I don't really want to leave tomorrow anyway."
"I'd like to stay here for a week."
"Maybe longer."
Zas looked surprised.
"You would?"
"I've never actually explored Purushapura."
"I've wrestled here."
"I've slept here."
"I've eaten here."
"...but I've never actually seen it."
She looked out the window toward the city lights.
"This place has thousands of years of history."
"I'd like to experience some of it."
Then she smiled at him.
"...and I think all three of us could use a few quiet
days."
Zas couldn't argue with that.
"...Very well."
A few minutes later...
They were carrying their bags into a comfortable room.
Two large beds.
A television.
A small table.
A bathroom that actually looked luxurious compared to
anything Zas had expected.
Arel-Sin immediately stopped smiling.
His eyes lingered on the beds.
Joanna noticed.
"You okay?"
He nodded automatically.
Then shook his head.
"...No."
He sat on one of the mattresses.
"When Phoebe and I were little..."
"...Dad always made us share."
Zas chuckled.
"You neglected to mention you spent the entire night
kicking each other."
"She started it."
"Usually."
Arel-Sin ignored him.
"When we got older..."
"...Dad finally agreed to rent a cot."
Joanna smiled.
"Problem solved."
"No."
Arel-Sin sighed.
"Then Phoebe and I fought over who got the cot."
Joanna blinked.
"...You fought over the uncomfortable bed?"
"It was different."
"It was."
Zas nodded.
"So eventually..."
Arel-Sin continued.
"...Dad got tired of listening to us."
"So he slept on the cot himself."
Joanna looked at Zas.
"You did?"
He shrugged.
"It was quieter."
"It was torture."
Arel-Sin corrected.
"You barely fit."
"I did not."
"You looked folded."
"I was."
Joanna burst into laughter.
She looked around the room.
Then back toward Arel-Sin.
"We could always ask for a cot."
Zas groaned immediately.
"I confess..."
"...I was looking forward to not sleeping on a cot this
time."
Arel-Sin looked at him.
Then at the empty second bed.
For just a moment...
He could almost see Phoebe sprawled across it, arguing that
she deserved the better mattress because she'd called it first.
The image vanished.
He smiled sadly.
"It's okay."
He climbed onto the larger bed.
"I guess..."
"...I still get the bigger bed."
Joanna smiled warmly.
"...and this time..."
"...nobody's fighting you for it."
Arel-Sin nodded.
"No."
He looked toward the empty side of the mattress.
"...Not this time."
The room grew quiet.
Not painfully so.
Just enough for everyone to feel who wasn't there.
Joanna quietly walked over.
She sat beside Arel-Sin.
Not trying to cheer him up.
Simply keeping him company.
Across the room, Zas watched them.
For the first time that evening...
The empty bed no longer looked like a reminder of what his
family had lost.
It looked like a quiet promise.
That one day...
It might not stay empty forever.
The following morning Joanna's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen- "Doctor Idris."
"This early?"
Joanna was surprised. Then she answered.
"Hi, Amina."
"Good morning."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Not at all."
"What can I do for you?"
There was a brief pause.
"I wanted to discuss Phoebe and Armintie."
Joanna immediately sat a little straighter.
"Okay."
"They've been thinking about what comes next."
"They understand they can't simply stay here
indefinitely."
"They also understand they'll likely require foster
placement."
Joanna nodded slowly.
"They've been told they'll have opportunities to meet
prospective families."
"Good."
Amina smiled softly.
"They've also been asked whether they have a
preference."
Joanna blinked.
"They do?"
"They do."
Another pause.
"They named you."
Silence.
Joanna didn't answer immediately.
Amina continued gently.
"I want to stress that this doesn't obligate you to
anything."
"It simply means we'd like to interview you."
"It's standard procedure."
"I'll be honest..."
"I don't anticipate any significant problems."
"...but procedures exist for a reason."
"I also want to know whether this is something you even
wish to consider."
Joanna slowly exhaled.
"I'm..."
She laughed nervously.
"...really flattered."
"I wasn't expecting that."
"I don't think anyone was."
Amina smiled.
"So?"
Joanna thought about Zas and Arel-Sin.
"I'd like to talk to them first."
"I figured you might."
Amina nodded.
"...but I do want to make one thing absolutely
clear."
"This decision belongs to you."
"Not Zas."
"Not anyone else."
"You don't need his permission."
Joanna smiled.
"I know."
"...and if I decide to do this..."
"...it'll be because I chose it."
"I just..."
She thought of Zas again.
"...don't want him blindsided."
"I understand."
"If you're willing, I can interview you this
afternoon."
"I'll be there."
"Wonderful."
"We'll see you then."
The call ended.
For a few moments...
Joanna simply stared at the phone.
Zas and Arel-Sin returned from picking up breakfast from the
hotel café.
Arel-Sin immediately noticed her expression.
"What happened?"
Joanna looked at both of them.
"I just got off the phone with Amina."
She took a breath.
"Phoebe and Armintie were asked whether they had any
preference for foster placement."
Zas nodded.
"...and?"
"They asked for me."
Silence.
Even Arel-Sin stopped moving.
"They..."
"...what?"
Joanna nodded.
"They want to live with me."
She quickly corrected herself.
"Well..."
"They'd like the system to consider me."
"I still have to be interviewed."
"They still have to approve everything."
"...but..."
She looked down.
"I'm seriously thinking about it."
The room stayed quiet.
Zas sat down slowly.
His breakfast remained untouched.
He stared at the table for what felt like a very long time.
Joanna let him think.
She knew this wasn't easy.
Finally...
He spoke.
"They trust you."
"I think they do."
"They feel safe with you."
Joanna nodded.
"I think that's part of it."
Another silence.
Then Zas smiled sadly.
"I spent so long trying to become the person Phoebe
needed."
"...and..."
"...it turns out..."
"...someone else became that person."
Joanna immediately reached across the table.
"No."
She gently shook her head.
"I'm not replacing you."
"I couldn't."
"I'm not her father."
"I never will be."
"If this happens..."
"...I'm simply giving her somewhere safe to be."
"Until she's ready to decide what comes next."
Zas listened.
Carefully.
Then he looked toward Arel-Sin.
His son simply nodded.
"I think Phoebe picked the right person."
That settled something inside Zas.
He looked back at Joanna.
"I would be lying if I said this does not hurt."
"It does."
He smiled anyway.
"...but..."
"...my pain is not the most important thing."
"If Phoebe feels safest with you..."
"...then I want her to have that."
He took Joanna's hand.
"You have my blessing."
Joanna's eyes filled with tears.
"I wasn't asking for it."
"I know."
He smiled warmly.
"...but I wanted to give it anyway."
For the first time...
The three of them began to imagine that the family they were
rebuilding...
Might end up looking different than the one they had before.
Not smaller.
Just...
Larger.
Later that afternoon, Joanna found herself back in Dr. Amina
Idris' office.
She expected another private conversation.
Instead...
Phoebe and Armintie were already sitting inside.
Joanna stopped in the doorway.
"Oh."
The girls smiled.
Amina noticed Joanna's surprise.
"I hope you don't mind."
Joanna looked between them.
"Not at all."
Amina folded her hands on her desk.
"They asked if they could sit in."
"Part of our placement process is allowing young people
to meet prospective foster parents."
"They're encouraged to ask questions."
"They deserve to know who's taking them in."
Joanna smiled.
"I actually like that."
She pulled out a chair.
"Fire away."
Amina chuckled.
"We'll start with the boring questions."
Joanna laughed.
"I figured."
Amina picked up her notepad.
"Full name?"
"Joanna Goldsmith."
"Hometown?"
"Cleveland."
She grinned.
"...and proud of it."
That made Phoebe smile.
"Occupation?"
"I'm a professional wrestler."
"For the World Fighting Empire."
"Current position?"
Joanna laughed.
"Mid-card."
"I'm famous enough that people recognize me."
"Not famous enough that I can't still go grocery
shopping."
Even Amina smiled at that answer.
"Current residence?"
"I own a condo in Miramar."
"Downtown Cleveland."
"You own it?"
"I do."
"No mortgage?"
"Paid off."
Amina made another note.
"Do you live alone?"
"I live with my dog."
"What breed?"
Joanna laughed.
"I honestly have no idea."
"He was a rescue. He's very shaggy, though."
"His name's Fido."
Phoebe blinked.
"You named him Fido?"
"No."
"He already had the name."
"I figured he'd been through enough."
"I'm not making him learn a new one."
Armintie giggled.
"I like that."
The interview slowly became less formal.
Amina asked fewer questions.
The girls asked more.
"Are we allowed to stay up late?"
"Sometimes."
"School nights?"
Joanna smiled.
"Probably not."
Phoebe sighed dramatically.
"I had to ask."
"What about homework?"
"You'll do it."
"Chores?"
"You'll do those too."
Armintie folded her arms.
"So you're secretly strict."
"No."
Joanna laughed.
"I'm secretly responsible."
The girls exchanged amused looks.
"Fair enough."
Phoebe leaned forward.
"What if we disagree with you?"
"Then we'll talk."
"What if we think you're wrong?"
"Then tell me."
"What if you are wrong?"
Joanna shrugged.
"Then I'll apologize."
The room became unexpectedly quiet.
Phoebe looked at Armintie.
Armintie looked back.
They both smiled.
Amina noticed.
"So..."
Phoebe said thoughtfully.
"...we're allowed to argue?"
"I'd actually expect it."
Joanna answered.
"I just don't want us shouting."
"I'd rather understand why we're arguing."
Armintie nodded approvingly.
"I like that."
Amina continued making notes.
Then...
She reached the final section.
"This is the only area I think may raise
questions."
Joanna's smile faded slightly.
"The WFE schedule."
Joanna nodded.
"It can be brutal."
"I can be away for weeks."
"Sometimes months."
"I won't pretend otherwise."
Amina looked thoughtful.
"Personally..."
"I don't consider that a major issue."
"The girls are fourteen."
"They won't need someone watching them every
minute."
She tapped her pen against the folder.
"The review board may see it differently."
"Especially considering Armintie's history of
disappearing."
Armintie lowered her head.
Joanna immediately looked worried.
"So..."
"...does that mean I won't qualify?"
Amina smiled reassuringly.
"No."
"It means we'll have to answer some questions."
"We'll need a practical plan."
"Who helps while you're traveling."
"Where the girls stay."
"How routines are maintained."
"Those are solvable problems."
Joanna relaxed a little.
"The board's job isn't to find perfect people."
"It's to find safe, stable ones."
She looked toward Phoebe and Armintie.
"...and if this is ultimately what these two genuinely
want..."
"...I'll do everything I reasonably can to make it
happen."
The girls looked at one another.
Neither needed to speak.
Their smiles answered for them.
Joanna slowly stood.
"I..."
She laughed softly.
"I don't really know what to say."
"You've already said enough."
Amina replied.
Joanna looked at the girls.
"Thank you."
"For trusting me."
Phoebe stood first.
"We're trusting us."
Armintie nodded.
"We think we'd make a pretty good team."
Joanna smiled.
"I think we just might."
The review board met the following morning.
Some members sat around a long conference table inside Love
Hospital.
Others joined by secure video conference from offices
throughout the Peace Organization.
One face immediately stood out.
Peace Officer Elian Reyes.
The supervisor of the Cleveland office.
He looked remarkably like Keanu Reeves, something Joanna had
jokingly mentioned the previous day.
Amina waited while everyone settled.
Then she began.
"Our purpose today is not to choose a foster
placement."
She looked around the room.
"Phoebe and Armintie are fourteen."
"They are old enough that their wishes carry
significant weight."
"Our responsibility is simply to determine whether
Joanna Goldsmith should remain an approved candidate."
A few nods followed.
Elian spoke first.
"I'll begin with the Cleveland background report."
He opened the file.
"Criminal record."
"None."
"Financial concerns."
"None."
"Employment."
"Stable."
"Income."
"Substantially above average."
"Residence."
"Owner-occupied condominium in Miramar."
"No significant debt."
"No concerning associations."
He closed the folder.
"From Cleveland's perspective..."
"...there are no disqualifying issues."
Amina smiled faintly.
"As expected."
Another board member leaned forward.
"Then why are we here?"
Amina already knew the answer.
"The travel."
The room quieted.
A woman from the Child Welfare Division spoke.
"Ms. Goldsmith can be away for weeks."
"Sometimes months."
"Professional wrestling isn't a standard
occupation."
"No."
Amina agreed.
"It isn't."
Another member looked down at Armintie's file.
"My concern isn't Phoebe."
"It's Armintie."
He tapped the page.
"Repeated disappearances."
"Repeated disregard for authority."
"If Ms. Goldsmith is overseas..."
"...who is supervising her?"
Amina nodded.
"A fair question."
She folded her hands.
"I think we're interpreting Armintie's history too
narrowly."
Several people looked toward her.
"Armintie isn't a delinquent."
"She isn't violent."
"She isn't antisocial."
"She doesn't abuse substances."
"She doesn't steal."
"She doesn't intimidate others."
"She doesn't seek conflict."
She paused.
"The consistent pattern throughout her history is one
thing."
"She leaves."
"Why?"
Amina answered her own question.
"Because she feels confined."
"Not because she enjoys causing harm."
She looked around the table.
"Context matters."
"In the Blue Shield..."
"She lived under extraordinarily restrictive
expectations."
"Those expectations repeatedly escalated."
"So did her attempts to escape them."
She leaned back slightly.
"Cleveland is not Daral Lake."
"There are schools."
"Community centres."
"Theatre groups."
"Sports."
"Volunteer organizations."
"Public libraries."
"There are healthy places for a fourteen-year-old to
direct her energy."
She smiled.
"...and perhaps most importantly..."
"Joanna parents very differently than Zas."
No one interrupted.
"She communicates."
"She negotiates."
"She explains."
"She listens."
"I believe that alone substantially reduces the
likelihood that Armintie feels compelled to run."
Elian nodded thoughtfully.
"I'd agree with that assessment."
Another member wasn't fully convinced.
"The travel schedule still exists."
"It does."
Amina answered immediately.
"...and Joanna acknowledges it."
"She isn't pretending otherwise."
"In fact..."
"She already has ideas."
She opened another page.
"Trusted caregivers."
"Regular check-ins."
"Temporary guardianship arrangements while
touring."
"Keeping the girls in one school district."
"Maintaining consistent routines."
She looked around the room.
"These are practical problems."
"They have practical solutions."
The room remained thoughtful.
Then Amina spoke more personally.
"I'd also ask everyone to consider something
else."
"The girls have endured tremendous upheaval."
"They've finally begun rebuilding trust."
"They trust Joanna."
"They've chosen Joanna."
She looked directly at the board.
"If we remove her from consideration..."
"...we risk undoing much of that progress."
She wasn't pleading.
She was stating a clinical opinion.
"Separating Phoebe and Armintie would, in my
professional judgment, be harmful."
"Rejecting Joanna over a problem that is entirely
manageable would also be harmful."
She closed the file.
"My recommendation is straightforward."
"Approve Joanna Goldsmith as a foster candidate."
"Require a detailed supervision plan during
travel."
"Review that plan before placement."
"...but do not deny these girls the person they have
already decided feels like home."
Silence settled over the room.
No one seemed entirely surprised anymore.
The question was no longer whether Joanna was suitable.
It was whether her unusual career outweighed everything
else.
...and after hearing Amina speak...
That argument suddenly felt much harder to make.
A short time later...
Dr. Amina opened a secure video call.
The screen flickered.
Then Peace Officer Elian Reyes appeared.
Phoebe blinked.
Armintie blinked.
Armintie leaned closer to the monitor.
"...Okay."
Elian smiled knowingly.
"I know that look."
Armintie pointed at the screen.
"You look exactly like Keanu Reeves."
Phoebe nodded immediately.
"You really do."
Elian sighed dramatically.
"My greatest burden."
The girls laughed.
"No seriously."
Armintie leaned even closer.
"When we got Internet at the hospital..."
"I binge-watched all of his movies."
"You did?"
Phoebe nodded.
"She made me watch most of them too."
"I did not make you."
"You absolutely made me."
"I merely encouraged you."
Elian chuckled.
"So..."
"Verdict?"
Armintie grinned.
"I thought he was cute."
Phoebe rolled her eyes.
"That was her verdict."
"It remains my verdict."
Armintie replied proudly.
"...and then..."
"I started reading all these discussions online
asking..."
"'How does Keanu Reeves even have a career?'"
Elian immediately nodded.
"Excellent."
"The question to which I have devoted my professional
life."
The girls burst into laughter.
Phoebe leaned forward.
"So?"
"So what?"
"Explain."
Elian folded his hands together as though preparing a
university lecture.
"Very well."
"My Keanu lecture."
He cleared his throat theatrically.
"First..."
"The real world is deeply disappointing."
Phoebe laughed.
"In his movies..."
"One man defeats forty trained assassins."
"In my job..."
"I spend three hours trying to convince two departments
that yes..."
"...they really do need to send me the same
paperwork."
Another laugh.
"Keanu's films contain explosions."
"My day contains forms."
"Keanu jumps off buildings."
"I sit through committee meetings."
"Trust me..."
"I'd rather have the explosions."
Even Amina smiled.
Elian continued.
"Now..."
"As an actor..."
"I think people underestimate him."
"He isn't one of those performers who disappears into
every role."
"That's true."
"He doesn't."
"...but..."
"He also knows exactly what he's good at."
"He doesn't usually try to be someone he isn't."
"He picks roles that suit his strengths."
"Quiet."
"Thoughtful."
"Physically expressive."
"He communicates more than people realize without
saying very much."
"I actually think he has more range than critics often
give him credit for."
"He just doesn't show it off."
Armintie nodded thoughtfully.
"I never thought about it like that."
Elian smiled.
"So..."
"What are your favourites?"
Phoebe answered immediately.
"Constantine."
Elian's eyebrows rose.
"I wasn't expecting that."
Armintie grinned.
"The Watcher."
This time Elian looked genuinely surprised.
"Now that one..."
"...I definitely wasn't expecting."
Armintie shrugged.
"I liked it."
Elian laughed.
"Fun fact."
"He never wanted to make that movie."
The girls looked puzzled.
"The director..."
"...who happened to be a friend of his..."
"...forged Keanu's signature on the contract."
Armintie's mouth fell open.
"You're kidding."
"I wish I were."
"He eventually decided making the film was less painful
than years of legal battles."
Phoebe blinked.
"That actually happened?"
"It actually happened."
Armintie sat back in disbelief.
"That's insane."
"It is."
Elian agreed.
"Which is why..."
He smiled.
"...always read what you're signing."
The girls laughed again.
Only then did Elian gently steer the conversation back.
"Now..."
"I've learned about Keanu."
"I think it's only fair..."
"...that I learn about the two of you."
The girls still looked eager to continue talking about Keanu
Reeves.
Elian smiled apologetically.
"I promise..."
"...we can return to Keanu."
"But unfortunately..."
He held up a folder.
"...the paperwork wins."
Phoebe sighed dramatically.
"The bureaucracy always wins."
"I'm afraid it usually does."
He smiled.
"...but before we move on..."
He looked toward Phoebe.
"If you enjoyed Constantine..."
"...listen to Gavin Rossdale's band, Bush,
sometime."
Phoebe blinked.
"He makes music?"
"He does."
"I had no idea."
"He surprises people."
"I'll have to look him up."
Elian nodded.
"I think you'd enjoy it."
Then his expression became a little more professional.
"Now..."
"I'd like to understand something."
He glanced down at the report.
"The review board is particularly interested in the
number of times you two disappeared."
His eyes settled on Armintie.
"...and..."
"The reports consistently suggest you were usually the
one who started those adventures."
Armintie looked a little embarrassed.
"...Yeah."
"Can you tell me why?"
She thought for several seconds.
"We weren't trying to get into trouble."
Phoebe nodded immediately.
"Honestly."
"We weren't."
Armintie continued.
"I just..."
She searched for the right words.
"...felt trapped."
"It always seemed like..."
"...every time we got older..."
"...another rule appeared."
"Another restriction."
"Another person watching us."
She looked down.
"I wasn't trying to rebel."
"I just wanted to see what was beyond Daral Lake."
She smiled sadly.
"It gets..."
"...kind of boring sometimes."
Phoebe laughed quietly.
"She's underselling it."
Armintie nudged her.
"I am not."
Phoebe grinned.
"You absolutely are."
She looked back toward Elian.
"She always wanted to explore."
"I usually wanted to go with her."
"We weren't looking for danger."
"We were looking for..."
She shrugged.
"...something different."
Armintie nodded.
"I hated that every time I wanted to go
somewhere..."
"...someone had to come with us."
"...and half the time..."
"...they didn't want us going at all."
"So eventually..."
"...I stopped asking."
Elian made a note.
Then looked back up.
"...and Cleveland?"
Armintie's face immediately brightened.
"I can't wait."
"What are you looking forward to?"
She almost laughed.
"Everything."
"There are parks."
"Museums."
"Concerts."
"Theatres."
"Sports."
"So many people."
"So many different neighbourhoods."
"So much to see."
She smiled.
"I've started playing basketball at the hospital
gym."
Phoebe nodded.
"...and I've been trying baseball."
Elian smiled.
"Good choices."
Armintie laughed.
"I even started following Cleveland's teams."
Elian winced playfully.
"My condolences."
The girls laughed.
"They're that bad?"
"They're wonderful..."
"...if you enjoy annual heartbreak."
Phoebe grinned.
"So basically..."
"...they build character?"
"They certainly build something."
Elian replied.
"I'm just not convinced it's character."
More laughter.
Then Phoebe spoke.
"We've watched loads of games online."
Armintie nodded enthusiastically.
"I'd love to be in one someday."
"What do you mean?"
"Basketball."
"Or maybe something else."
"I don't know."
Phoebe smiled.
"I think it'd be amazing to play baseball."
"Or..."
She laughed.
"At least make one of those highlight videos."
Elian looked genuinely impressed.
"Those are ambitious goals."
Phoebe nodded.
"We know."
"They're probably longshots."
Armintie continued.
"We're not stupid."
"We know almost nobody becomes a professional
athlete."
"So..."
She shrugged.
"We'll study."
"We'll do well in school."
"We'll see what we're actually good at."
Phoebe nodded.
"We want options."
"If sports work..."
"Great."
"If they don't..."
"We'll have something else."
Elian quietly closed his notebook.
He had expected impulsiveness.
Perhaps even fantasy.
Instead...
He'd found two teenagers who dreamed boldly...
While still understanding reality.
He decided not to tell them that.
Not yet.
Instead he simply smiled.
"I think..."
"...that's one of the most sensible answers I've heard
all week."
Later that week...
Peace Officer Elian Reyes found himself driving through
Miramar.
The district was one of Cleveland's oldest.
Tourists loved it.
Locals tolerated it.
Ancient stone castles dominated entire blocks, their
battlements and towers standing beside modern cafés, grocery stores and tram
stops.
Most had been carefully modernized over centuries.
Electricity.
Central heating.
High-speed Internet.
Modern plumbing.
Elevators discreetly hidden inside old towers.
The tourist brochures called it "living history."
Residents usually called it...
"...drafty."
Elian parked outside one such castle.
He climbed a broad stone staircase worn smooth by centuries
of footsteps.
Apartment 4B.
He knocked.
The heavy wooden door swung open.
Sarah Eriksson smiled warmly.
"You must be Officer Reyes."
"Peace Officer."
He corrected gently.
"...but yes."
She laughed.
"Come on in."
The apartment surprised him.
It was unmistakably modern.
Yet centuries of history remained.
Stone walls.
Exposed wooden beams.
Narrow arched windows overlooking Miramar.
A fireplace converted into an electric heater.
Modern furniture somehow fitting perfectly beside walls that
had once expected knights instead of sofas.
Then...
He noticed the décor.
Axes.
Replica shields.
Longships painted on canvases.
Runic artwork.
Viking helmets.
Not the cheap plastic kind.
Proper reproductions.
Sarah caught him looking.
"My husband's fault."
Elian raised an eyebrow.
"Mostly."
She admitted with a grin.
"I'm guilty too."
She poured coffee.
"So."
"What would you like to know?"
The interview quickly became conversational.
Sarah answered every question without hesitation.
Yes...
She had been a professional wrestler.
No...
She didn't miss it.
"I miss the girls."
She admitted.
"I don't miss the schedule."
She smiled toward another room.
"I like waking up with my kids."
Almost on cue...
A toddler waddled into the living room.
Sophia.
A second, slightly younger child followed behind.
Peter.
Sarah scooped both into her arms.
"...and these two remind me every day why I
retired."
Elian smiled.
"They're beautiful."
"They're exhausting."
Sarah laughed.
"...but mostly beautiful."
They spoke about routines.
School pickups.
Medical appointments.
Emergency contacts.
Transportation.
Then came the most important question.
"If Joanna is overseas..."
"...what happens?"
Sarah answered immediately.
"They stay here."
"As long as they need."
"No hesitation?"
"No."
"They're Joanna's family."
"So they're mine too."
Elian made another note.
"...and Fido?"
Sarah laughed.
"Already basically lives here whenever Joanna
tours."
"So adding two teenagers..."
She shrugged.
"...is mostly just adding two more people to complain
that he steals food."
Elian smiled.
"I think he'd appreciate the extra opportunities."
A chime came from his tablet.
"The girls are ready."
Sarah nodded.
The secure video connection opened.
Phoebe and Armintie appeared.
Sarah waved enthusiastically.
"Hi!"
The girls waved back.
Then...
Almost simultaneously...
Their eyes wandered around the apartment.
Phoebe blinked.
"Whoa."
Armintie leaned closer to the screen.
"Are those actual Viking shields?"
Sarah laughed.
"They're reproductions."
"My husband collects them."
"You have swords too?"
"A few."
"A helmet?"
"Several."
Armintie's eyes sparkled.
"This place is awesome."
Sarah grinned.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Within minutes...
They were discussing Norse mythology.
Favourite historical documentaries.
Whether Vikings actually wore horned helmets.
(The answer disappointed Armintie.)
Phoebe asked about the children.
Sophia proudly showed the girls a stuffed dinosaur.
Peter attempted to eat the corner of a picture book.
Sarah apologized.
The girls laughed.
"It feels..."
Phoebe said quietly.
"...kind of normal."
Sarah smiled.
"I was hoping it'd feel that way."
By the time the call ended...
Elian quietly closed his notebook.
He had come expecting to evaluate a contingency plan.
Instead...
He had found something much more important.
A genuine support network.
One that already existed...
Long before Phoebe and Armintie had ever entered the
picture.
As he stood to leave, Sarah walked him to the door.
"So..."
She asked.
"How'd I do?"
Elian smiled.
"I came here hoping to verify Joanna had a
backup."
He looked around the apartment one last time.
"I think I found the girls an aunt."
No comments:
Post a Comment